Tempus Viator
by Paresis
Summary: Sasuke returned to the village after finding out why Itachi killed the clan, causing Madara to go on a rage, destroying Konoha, Suna, and most of the shinobi world in the process. Surviving the Akatsuki massacre was one thing, surviving a meddling Kakashi, fangirls, prejudice, and their entire childhood again is another. Time-travel fic. Features not-evil, but still snarky Sasuke
1. Chapter 1

AN: First time writing Naruto. And Sakura. And Sasuke. Hopefully I didn't mess up too badly.

* * *

Gosh, that takes me back... or is it forward? That's the trouble with time travel, you can never tell.-Dr. Who

* * *

In the middle of the Forbidden Forest, three shinobi sat, two in wait, one to rest her legs.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm tired," Sakura complained.

"Keep your voice down," said shinobi answered.

"I'll carry you, Sakura-chan!" Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed exuberantly.

Sakura looked suspiciously at the blond shinobi; his usual advances on her were strange, every time he offered to do something for her, he had an odd look on his face, almost as though he were mocking her. It didn't help that he also exchanged glances with Sasuke as well. She pouted angrily; she should be the one getting all of Sasuke's attention.

Although, she amended mentally, as Sasuke whacked the blonds' head, and hissed out a threat, perhaps not _that _kind of attention.

Sasuke-kun would be much gentler with her, she could already tell. He'd whisper sweet nothing into her ear, sweep her into his arms, and maybe even kiss her.

Inner Sakura fist-pumped excitedly; _Now all we have to do is get baka-Naruto out of the way, and then Sasuke-kun will realize his love for me. Ino-pig will be soooo jealous!_

Sakura blushed and giggled to herself, ignorant of the looks being sent her way.

"...-chan. Sakura-chan SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto's obnoxious voice cleared her of her fantasies.

"What?!" She snapped at him.

"Sasuke wants to leave." Naruto gestured wildly at the retreating Uchiha's back. "Oi, Teme, wait up!"

Sakura sighed, and ran to catch up with her team.

A snake watched as they left, slithering away to report to its master.

* * *

... I had a Dr. Who quote, that's gotta earn me _some _brownie points, right? Well, thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So sorry about the Forest of Death, Forbidden Forest mix up. Thanks for pointing that out, I've corrected it now. My mind apparently wants to write HP?

About the issue of length, the first chapter was my shortest . That being said, if I post a chapter that short again, rest assured, I will be posting updates within the next 24 hours.

Also, I've made Orochimaru a bit of a creep here, (for some reason, all my chapters are starting with people hitting on Sasuke...)

* * *

Qui legitis flores et humi nascentia fraga, Fridigus, O pueri, fugite hinc; latet anguis in herba- Virgil.

* * *

Orochimaru chuckled to himself as he watched the clueless Genin move through the Forest. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the Uchiha, and he licked his lips.

He would get Sasuke-kun, and that wonderful body would be his.

As though he could sense Orochimaru's thoughts, the blond jinchuuriki looked up at the tree that Orochimaru had concealed himself in and winked, waving.

He was then berated by the pink haired one: "What are you doing, Naruto?"

The jinchuuriki smiled. "Just greeting our guest. Why don't you come out, Orochimaru?"

"Wha-" the pink haired one spluttered.

Orochimaru considered this development for a moment, leaping down from the tree.

The kunoichi dropped her kunai in shock when she saw him. Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun tensed, Naruto already forming seals.

Two shadow clones appeared beside him, and began making the same seals. Orochimaru studied the seals, which were unlike any he'd ever seen before.

As he pondered over the mysterious seals, Sasuke appeared beside him and attempted to stab him, Sharingan whirling.

"Now, now," Orochimaru scolded, twisting the Uchiha's wrist as he lengthened his neck to reach out to bite the boy.

His teeth sinking into Sasuke-kun's neck, Orochimaru wondered at the strangely metallic flavor and reared back a moment later, fangs stained purple with poison.

The Sasuke-clone melted into a steaming puddle of lethal liquid. Naruto finished his hand-signs, and both boys, and Sakura, disappeared into the Forest, not living the slightest trace of chakra to trace them with.

Orochimaru spat blood, thankful for the immunity to poison that Sasori had built up in him while they were partners.

This was an interesting turn of events, to say the least. Sasuke-kun was even more powerful than he had first anticipated; Kabuto's assessment of him completely underestimated the boy's natural genius.

Orochimaru let out a laugh at the thought. This boy was perfect to be his vessel, and this battle was going to be fun.

He bared his teeth in a snarl; "Come out, Sasuke-kun, I have a present for you."

There was silence, and then a whimper. The girl. She whimpered again, effectively revealing her position.

Orochimaru darted towards, her and held a kunai to her throat. "I've got your teammate, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun. Won't you come out now?"

The answer came from his left. "We don't care."

From the right; "Keep her."

Orochimaru commanded his snakes to attack in both directions, still holding fast to the kunoichi.

The snakes' severed heads were tossed at him several minutes later. Orochimaru cursed, and attempted to summon Manda. The snake didn't come, which meant either the contract had been broken, or the snake was dead.

Orochimaru summoned a smaller snake: Daishou, and commanded him to track the boys. A few moments later, Daishou was back, and he led Orochimaru straight into a trap.

Chakra strings were tied to several trees, and though Orochimaru leapt nimbly between them, he managed to trigger one, causing them all to go off. A large seal was visible underneath the foliage now, and Orochimaru saw one word before it went off: fire.

A ring of flames surrounded him. Orochimaru sent Daishou back to the spirit world, or at least attempted to.

The snake turned on him, and almost bit him as killed it.

He had no time to agonize over his snake's betrayal, as an onslaught of jutsu rained down upon him; wind cutting at his skin, and lightning barreling towards him through the ever increasing inferno.

Somehow, all the attacks missed Sakura, which meant the boys were watching. Orochimaru pressed his kunai harder into the girl's skin, and she let out a muffled sob.

"I'll make you a trade, Sasuke-kun. You come in here, and I'll spare your teammate."

"No, thanks."

Orochimaru lost his patience, tunneling underneath the flames, and popping up in front of the Uchiha.

A trickle of blood ran down Sakura's neck.

"Last chance," he warned. "You can't make it to Chuunin without her."

Sasuke rolled red eyes. "With the deterioration of security, we'll just sneak a clone in. They'll _never _know the difference."

Orochimaru smirked. "Finally seeing how weak Konoha really is? Join me, and I'll make you ten times more powerful than all of them."

At Sasuke's silence, the Sannin lifted his kunai again, digging deeper into Sakura's skin.

"You wouldn't," Sasuke smirked. "You've been threatening to do that for the entirety of this battle."

"Well, let me make good on my threat, then." Orochimaru sliced through the girl's throat in one smooth motion.

Naruto murmured something indistinct towards his teammate, and both gaped.

"Finally seeing how powerful I am, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru asked, looking to the Uchiha.

"No, more like seeing how blind you are."

Orochimaru stiffened at Sasuke's response, just as the beheaded 'Sakura' rose from the ground, slicing into his jaw, and cutting off his tongue with a kunai.

"Nice touch, huh?" Naruto looked smug. "The blood was my idea."

Orochimaru hissed, speech hampered by his loss of a tongue. He teleported quickly, the disembodied tongue the only sign that he'd ever been there.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

...what should ne'er been seen, imperfect mischief.—William Congreve

* * *

"Nice touch, huh?" The blond shinobi murmured, staring at the dismembered appendage with distaste.

"Quit gloating, dobe. We still have to go get Haruno."

"Sakura. We have to go get _Sakura_." Naruto reminded.

"Same thing dobe. Race you." Sasuke added the challenge, hoping it would distract the blond. Judging by the sharp gleam in blue eyes, he hadn't succeeded.

They raced regardless, Sasuke winning thanks to a clever trap that had ensnared the blond shinobi, costing him precious seconds that Sasuke took advantage of.

The blond ranted all the way into the clearing where they had left their pink-haired teammate, quieting only as they approached her.

They quickly busied themselves with mundane tasks as Sasuke removed his genjutsu: Naruto with re-stocking supplies and Sasuke with sharpening the weaponry.

* * *

Sakura awoke, stretching her aching body. Her head pounded faintly, and she gave a start when she realized she was not in her bedroom.

She looked around the foliage with confusion, this was a forest... The Chuunin exams!

To her left, Sasuke held a kunai to the sunlight, inspecting it, and Naruto was refilling the water bottles, spilling most of the water.

She didn't tell him off, instead wanting to know how they had gotten there.

Sasuke recounted how they'd ambushed one of Sound's teams, and then stopped to rest. Naruto pulled out a scroll to show her, his movements oddly nervous.

Sakura accepted the explanation, much to Naruto's obvious relief. Sasuke suggested moving forward, so that they could get a head start on the next test.

She agreed quickly; Sasuke-kun was so _smart_!

They moved quickly through the forest, arriving at the Tower in about an hour. Sakura couldn't contain her obvious excitement when Iruka expressed his awe at how fast they'd arrived. Naruto was less enthusiastic, only cheering when poked rather sharply by Sasuke.

All three shinobi left, going towards their houses to rest.

"Ne, Naruto?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Don't you live on that side of town?" Sakura pointed in the opposite direction that the blond shinobi was headed.

"Ah- Well, you see, it's like-" Naruto rambled.

Sasuke thwacked the blond. "He's coming to my house, to train."

"O-oh." Sakura frowned, wondering why the blond hadn't said so in the first place, and why Sasuke-kun hadn't invited her. It was probably because he wanted her to rest.

She smiled dreamily to herself; Sasuke-kun was so sweet!

Lost in her own land, she didn't notice her two team members sneaking away.

* * *

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "subtle, dobe."

"S-shut up." The flustered blond commanded, then he slumped. "I- I just can't lie to Sakura-chan."

"Why? Afraid she'll pound you?" The raven attempted to lighten the mood.

"Don't you miss everyone? They're so _different _here." The blond shinobi murmured.

"They haven't experienced war. It's not a bad thing, Naruto."

When his logic failed to cheer up the blond, he relented.

"I bet Ichiraku's is still the same." He bribed blatantly.

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air exuberantly. "I'll get the pork, and the spicy-"

Meanwhile, Iruka waited uncomfortably for his guest.

"Yo," the chronically late shinobi greeted the school-teacher.

Iruka checked his watch, surprised. Kakashi was only fifteen minutes late.

"You had something to tell me about my team?" Kakashi prompted.

"Yes, I did. Not Sakura-chan, but Sasuke and Naruto; have you noticed that they've been acting different lately?"

"Different?"

"Naruto didn't seem as energetic as usual, and yet Sasuke seemed closer to him."

"Maybe they've switched personalities."

Iruka tried to whack Kakashi. "I'm being serious, Hatake-san."

Kakashi's eyes darkened at the title. "I'll keep my eye out," he promised, and disappeared in a whirl of leaves; leaving the disgruntled teacher alone.

* * *

Anko raced through the forest, hoping against hope that she wasn't too late. Konoha security had been lax as of late, but letting _Orochimaru_ into Chuunin exams undetected was too much.

She paused at when she sensed her sensei-chakra. The two jonin under her command stopped as well, cautiously peering into area that reeked of Orochimaru's chakra.

It wasn't especially noticeable, but to the trained eye, it might have been a neon sign that said 'A battle occurred here!'

The only question was, Anko thought grimly as she dropped a severed tongue into a plastic bag, had Orochimaru been part of that battle?

She took the severed snake heads too, for good measure.

* * *

"Hey, hey, Sasuke," Naruto spoke through his mouthful of noodles.

"What, dobe?"

"I was just thinking, d'you think we forgot something?"

* * *

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4

I don't know.. I didn't really like this chapter, writing Ino is suprisingly hard. Also, I've taken Ino's mind control thing to another level, made her almost psychic.

* * *

Ino stared in shock at Sasuke. "You want to talk to_ me? _Like, alone?_"_

Sasuke-kun nodded, looking impatient. "Yes or no?"

"I-yes, of course." She stuttered, stumbling over her words in her haste to get them out.

Sakura turned puce with jealousy. It clashed horribly with her hair, and Ino put a hand over her mouth to stifle nervous laughter.

"Are you coming?" Sasuke-kun called, gesturing for her to join him. She all but ran in her haste to join him, but felt a brief flicker of unease as Sasuke led her over to one of the few corners of the arena not crowded with shinobi.

It could just be for privacy, but Sasuke-kun had been acting odd since he'd left the Forbidden Forest. His entire aura just felt _off._

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked nervously.

"How much do you like me?"

Ino nearly faceplanted at the question, but that was Sasuke-kun for you: blunt, and straight to the point, as always.

She blushed, rocking back and forth on her heels. "A-a lot, I guess?"

"More than you like your team?"

Ino frowned, unsure where this was going. "Yeah."

"And you'd pick me over them? In any circumstance?" Sasuke continued to press.

"I-yeah, probably…"

Sasuke emitted a strong blast of emotions, obviously triggered by her response: guilt, anger, _fear?_

She delved faintly into the edges of his mind, curious, and certain that in his distracted state he wouldn't notice the brief invasion.

He did, but just before he kicked her out, she saw memories flash through his mind; Shikamaru bleeding out on the ground, Chouji with several arrows sticking out from numerous locations, eyes closed. She was in both images, a haggard, broken look on her face as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding.

She gasped as he violently ejected her from his mind. Those images were too complex to be faked,

They were real, and from the brief glimpses she'd seen, both her teammates had aged considerably.

"What the hell was _that?" _She demanded, twisting to check on Shikamaru and Chouji despite herself. They are _fine, _she reassured herself.

And she'd die before she let those particular images come true.

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, Hayate began announcing the order of the matches.

'Uchiha Sasuke VS Yoroi Akado flashed on the board behind him.

"Naruto will explain it to you," Sasuke said, looking harried. He jumped into the arena, looking back in time to catch Naruto's irate expression.

"Well?" Ino turned to Naruto, hands on her hips, hoping her aggressive posture would hide the trembling in her hands. "Are you going to explain to me why Sasuke's mind is full of images of _dead shinobi? _Including _my team?"_

Naruto began muttering under his breath, throwing dirty looks in Sasuke's direction. "Tell the mind reader first, brilliant idea Uchiha. And leave Naruto to deal with it, even better."

He's almost flailing in his irritation, moving back and forth. "As if we don't have enough to deal with right now."

His gaze shifts for a moment to the Kazekage and then he _screams._

* * *

Sasuke looked up from where he'd idly been letting Yoroi suck chakra out of his body, tensing as Naruto yelled out.

Ino dropped to the floor, next to the writhing blond, trying vainly to remember what Asuma-sensei had taught her about healing.

"Please, please, _please." _Naruto babbled, body spasming off the floor. "Stop, just stop!"

Ino waved a hand in front of his face, an idea forming as he didn't respond.

Sasuke appeared beside her, having ended his match by knocking his hapless opponent out.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked, hands clenched as the blond continued to plead.

'Kai.' Ino spoke, hands forming the seal to disperse genjutsu.

Naruto ceased his squirming, looking relieved for a brief second before passing out.

Sasuke picked the blond up easily, and began walking away.

"Wait. Where are you taking him?"

"The hospital. Come find us, after you're finished."

"Finished with what?"

Sasuke gestured to the board, on which Yamanaka Ino VS Haruno Sakura flashed.

He was gone by the time she turned around.

Ino was _really _starting to hate that board.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

So, this is the edited, and hopefully less crappy, version of Chapter 5. This story is still very much a work in progress, so any suggestions or criticisms will be received gratefully.

Thanks, especially to those who've reviewed!

* * *

"I don't want to be a man," said Jace. "I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead."

"Well," said Luke, "you're doing a fantastic job."

― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes.

* * *

The match was short and brutal.

Ino had an idea form even as she climbed down to meet an impatient Sakura.

"I don't know what you and Sasuke-kun were talking about, but know this: Sasuke-kun will be _mine." _Sakura hissed.

Instead of the indignation Ino had expected to feel, all she felt was pity, and disgust. Had she really been so wrapped up in this? Sakura was speaking with the air of a three year old being denied a toy. She rolled her eyes.

"You don't believe me?" Sakura gritted out, incensed, just as the examiner spoke:

"Begin!"

Ino began weaving hand seals, dodging neatly out of the way as an enraged Sakura barreled towards her, nearly blind with fury.

Sakura paused her next attack, turning towards the stands, where she heard Sasuke calling her.

Ino smirked as Sakura began blushing, and leisurely strolled over to the other kunoichi, placing a kunai to her throat.

* * *

" I want to be with you, Sakura, forever." Sasuke exclaimed passionately. "I was only talking to Ino to inform her of our eternal love. Now forfeit the match so we can be together forever."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura tittered. "I never thought you'd confess your love to me in such a public place. She paused, mind racing; Sasuke wouldn't do such a thing, at least, not in public. Which meant—

"Kai."

The genjutsu dispersed, and Sakura blinked, noticing Ino's position next to her. She hesitated for a second, then smiled. "You wouldn't dare, Ino."

"Try me," the other kunoichi returned, pressing the kunai harder against Sakura's collarbone, so a thin line of welled.

Sakura sputtered in outrage. "_Ino!"_

"Forfeit, or I'll keep going." Ino spoke nonchalantly.

"Fine! I- I forfeit." The pink-haired kunoichi murmured shamefacedly.

"This match goes to Yamanaka Ino," Hayate announced.

"Wait, Ino!"

Ino turned, "What?"

"This doesn't mean I'm giving up. I'm still your rival for Sasuke!"

Ino laughed. "You can have him."

She watched Sakura's jaw drop with a certain amount of satisfaction.

It was time to prioritize, she thought to herself grimly. She walked up the stairs, intent on finding the rest of Team 7, so that she could get her answers.

As she passed her own team, Shikamaru reached out to snag her arm.

"What?" she asked softly, images of his death still imprinted in her mind.

From his arched eyebrow, he obviously noted her change in tone, but didn't question it.

"What you said about Sasuke, did you mean it?"

"Yes." She replied confidently. She looked at the rest of her team; both Asuma and Chouji looked shell-shocked by her sudden transformation.

"I'm going to go visit Naruto at the hospital, but afterwards, do you want to go celebrate our victory?"

"We haven't even gone yet," Chouji gestured towards himself and Shikamaru.

"So?"

Shikamaru's eyes sharpened at Ino's genuine response, while Chouji gaped. "I'm coming with you."

"To the hospital?" She fidgeted under his intense scrutiny.

"Unless you're planning on going somewhere else, yes."

"You can't!" She protested weakly.

"Why not?"

"Because- your match is starting!" She pointed at the board, not checking to see if she was right, taking his brief moment of surprise to dart away.

She reached the hospital quickly, half-convinced Shikamaru was discreetly tailing her. She nodded to the nurses she knew, blatantly ignoring their attempts to start conversations, only pausing to ask Naruto's room number.

She received the room number with a grimace from the usually sweet receptionist, which she resolved to analyze at a later date.

As she reached the room, she heard raised voices:

"I told you, you shouldn't have brought me here. I haven't even fought yet! And there is no way I'm going to stay genin forever."

"You passed out. _In the middle of the the Exams!_ You're here because the doctors can tell us what's wrong with you."

"As if the doctors would tell me what's wrong with me, even if they knew."

A brief pause ensued, as though Sasuke was attempting to get Naruto to confess by increasing glare-power.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Nothing. I just wasn't on guard, that's all."

"_Naruto."_

"I-he made me remember. The last days. It's a simple genjutsu."

Ino decided to enter, not liking Naruto's somber tone. She noticed that Sasuke was sitting on Naruto's bed, features flushed, presumably due to their argument.

The blond, who'd been frowning as she came in, quickly pasted a smile on his face. It looked fake, and yet strangely familiar.

She felt herself mirror his previous frown as she wondered how many times in their childhood he'd faked a smile that way.

She tapped her foot, feigning impatience. "Well? Would anybody like to tell me why Sasuke's mind is full of _dead shinobi?"_ The waver in her voice detracted from her casual tone.

Both Naruto and Sasuke paused, looking as though they were looking for a way to soften a harsh blow.

"Not really, no." Naruto attempted to lighten the situation.

"Don't beat around the bush. I want the truth." She demanded, and then appealed to Sasuke: "Isn't that why you told me to come here?"

"Are you familiar with the concept of time travel?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smacked his forehead. "Subtle, Uchiha."

"She asked for the truth." Sasuke protested indignantly, sounding like a petulant child.

"Actually, yes." Both Naruto and Sasuke looked appropriately shell-shocked. She rolled her eyes; honestly, just because she'd spent half her time in the Academy chasing after a boy didn't make her stupid. "My father was friends with the Yondaime."

Naruto made a strange expression, and Sasuke absent mindedly squeezed his shoulder. Ino filed both their reactions into the growing pile of Things To Investigate, but didn't comment.

"You've heard of his Hirashin jutsu, right?"

Both boys nodded.

"The Yondaime was experimenting with the idea that he could move through time with that jutsu if he gathered enough chakra. He had some brilliant theories about it; that's what my dad says, anyways."

Naruto was gripping the metal bar of the hospital bed with white knuckles, and with a whisper Ino wasn't sure she was supposed to hear, murmured "he was right."

Ino paused, considering the ramifications of Naruto's comment.

"So, what I saw, that was the _future?"_

_"_No," Naruto answered, hands clenching further. "That's not going to happen. Not again."

Sasuke, who'd turned pale –well paler— at the mention of the future, began exuding anxiety. Ino followed his gaze to where an anxious Maito Guy was following his unconscious student being led on a stretcher.

"Is that Lee?" Ino inquired concernedly, not noticing Sasuke's signals that she should stay quiet.

"_Shit." _Naruto swore, features contorting with guilt. "I knew I forgot something!"

"Shut up, Uzumaki." Sasuke said. "It's not your fault."

"But-"

"You want to blame someone, blame _me. _I knew it was going to happen, and I wasn't unconscious."

Naruto visibly quieted at that. Ino glanced between the two shinobi, a smile appearing on her visage.

"What?" The blond shinobi probed curiously.

"Nothing, just thinking that if nothing else, your friendship with Sasuke proves you're not from this time."

"We weren't so bad," Naruto nudged the shinobi sitting next to him. "Ne, Sasuke-_kun?" _He batted his eyelashes, embellishing the honorific, enjoying how Sasuke flinched upon hearing it.

Sasuke snorted. "Yes we were."

"Shut up, teme. Oh, it's almost time- listen, I need you to go give this to Tenten, Ino."

Ino tilted her head to the side in silent query at the seal Naruto handed her.

"Her match is about to start, you should go." Sasuke prompted her when she hesitated.

"Ok, but when I get back, you two are telling me more about the future. And, you're telling me what I have to learn to prevent it."

"We're here for five minutes, and you're bossing us around already." Naruto grumbled, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth despite his words.

Ino smacked him lightly on the arm, and rushed out; missing the fond look Naruto shot her.

"Just like before, hey teme?" She heard, just as she left.

* * *

Ino rushed to the stadium, and slipped the seal to Tenten, just as her match was announced.

"What's this?" the older kunoichi asked interestedly at the seal. "It looks like—"

"Naruto made it, so it's probably the exact opposite of what it looks like, but trust me, you'll need it." Ino reassured, ignoring the increasingly pointed looks Shikamaru threw at her the moment he noticed her reappearance.

The seal turned out to release a fog of mist, reminding Ino of the Hiding in Mist Technique, something Tenten used to distract Temari, managing to get the kunoichi off her fan and defeat her using an impressive barrage of weaponry.

Ino watched in amazement as Tenten skillfully finished the match with a swift blow to the resistant Suna kunoichi's temple, not noticing as Shikamaru walked towards her.

"Interesting match, yeah?" Shikamaru asked innocently, acting as though he hadn't seen Ino slip Tenten the seal.

The façade was ruined as Tenten came up to Ino, offering a nod and a grateful look.

"Listen, Tenten?" Ino called, just as the other girl turned to leave, "I was wondering, do you want to train sometime?"

Tenten shot her an assessing glance. "Sure."

"I didn't know the two of you were friends," Shikamaru probed, as the brunet kunoichi left.

"Chouji!" Ino exclaimed, seizing the distraction that appeared in the form of their plump teammate. "You want to get that victory dinner now?"

Chouji glanced unsurely between the two, deciding not to point out that he hadn't gone yet. "Sure.."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the hospital.

"Wait, does that mean Sakura lost?"

"Oh, _shit."_

* * *

So, not worse than last time, right? Love to hear your thoughts!


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